Baccala Bar / Ektafiskur

Some of the best food experiences in Iceland are found in the most unlikely places, and Baccala Bar in Hauganes is a perfect example. This tiny harbourside bar, attached to a working bacalao (salt cod) production facility, offers something no Reykjavik restaurant can match: fresh-tasting bacalao eaten within metres of where it was made, with a fjord view and -- if you are so inclined -- a hot tub.

The Setting

Hauganes is the kind of place that barely registers as a village. A handful of houses, a small harbour, and a fish processing building that has been part of the community for generations. Ektafiskur, the family business behind Baccala Bar, produces traditional Icelandic bacalao using methods that have not changed dramatically in centuries. The bar is an extension of that operation -- an invitation to taste their product in situ.

The location is stunning. Eyjafjordur stretches out before you, mountains rise on either side, and on clear days you can see across to the eastern shore. It is the kind of setting that makes you question why you ever eat indoors.

The Food

Bacalao -- salted and dried cod -- is one of Iceland's oldest and most important food products. At Baccala Bar, you can taste it in several preparations: traditional dried strips, rehydrated and cooked in various styles, and as part of a fish soup that is rich, warming, and deeply satisfying. The quality is exceptional, as you would expect from a producer who has been doing this for decades.

The menu is deliberately simple. This is not a place for elaborate multi-course meals. It is about tasting something authentic in the place where it is made, which gives the food a context and meaning that no restaurant can replicate.

The Hot Tub

Yes, there is a hot tub. Yes, you can sit in it while eating bacalao and drinking a cold beer. Yes, it is as wonderful as it sounds. The seaside hot tub is heated geothermally and looks out over the harbour and the fjord. Book ahead, because word has spread and capacity is limited.

Getting There

Hauganes is about a 25-minute drive north of Akureyri along Route 1. It makes an excellent stop on a day trip exploring the villages along Eyjafjordur, combined with a visit to Dalvik or the whale watching departures from the area. Summer is the best time to visit, as winter hours are unpredictable.